Wildfyre-The Tale of A Ferret
by Otterhare
Summary: The Plot: A young ferret, who has turned good, sets out to find her family, but ends up in the epic battle for Sampetra between goodbeast, land vermin and corsairs.
1. The Beginning of A Journey

Azura Wildfyre stepped out into the bright sunlight of Tarnaya. Her small   
vessel, The Waveskimmer, lay anchored near her cave. The trees around her   
waved in the cold wind that played at her clothing and tugged at her headfur.   
The female ferret had arrived at Tarnaya, a group of islands at the north,   
ten seasons ago. She had learned to live off the land and decided to become   
a goodbeast. Her weakness was the cold, and sometimes she wondered why she   
came to the islands. Now she was feeling numb and weak. Azura's spiked bracelets   
clacked together as she rubbed her paws to keep them warm. She pulled her   
dark green vest tighter around her to protect her self from the cold wind.   
Picking up her haversack, the ferret stuffed it with provisions and picked   
up her few belongings, bow, quiver of arrows and sword. Azura climbed aboard   
her vessel and set her items down in the galley. She ran over to her cave,   
camouflaged it with driftwood and dried grass and hurried back to her boat.   
The wind was stronger now, and it howled as it rushed around the furled   
sail and pulled at the trees. Now it wwas time to begin her quest for her   
family. Sensing it was time to hurry, the ferret pulled up the anchor and   
the skiff zoomed out over the ocean. Taking one last look at Tarnaya, Azura   
bowed her head against the wind and lashed the tiller southward before heading   
into the warm cabin. Slowly, the warmth made her sleepy, and she closed   
her eyes and sank into the realms of slumber.   
======================================================  
  
A few weeks later, The Waveskimmer had made it into the southern waters.   
Feeling much better, the ferret took out a slightly damp piece of parchment   
and began to write.  
'Today is a wonderful day. It is warm and sunny and the boat is going   
at a good speed. My quest for finding my family is not such a bad choice   
after all. Although provisions are running low, I sense that land is near.   
A few hours ago, I spotted a smudge of black on the horizon. Whether it   
was cloud or land I do not know. I will put down my pen now and start cooking   
lunch, for I am starving.'  
Azura put down her pen and ran a paw through her headfur. She had set   
out on a mission to find her parents, but she was unsure about what to do   
next. The ferret was walking up on deck when suddenly she jumped up with   
joy as she sighted land. She was too excited to cook, so she just grabbed   
some biscuits and sat munching them as she kept a paw on the tiller.  
A few hours later, Azura had anchored her vessel in a little cove and   
covered it with ferns, loam, driftwood and logs to camouflage it. She strapped   
on her sword, shouldered her quiver, haversack and bow and walked into the   
woods in front of her. Suddenly, a small figure jumped onto her. Her paw   
was immediately on her sword, but she relaxed as the creature spoke.  
"You no hurt me! I be a likkle squiggle!" The baby squirrel hopped onto   
Azura's haversack and eyed her suspiciously. "Be ya a vermint?"  
"Ohohohoho, no me liddle matey! I'm a goodbeast, see?" Azura smiled   
as she stroked the little fellow's headfur.  
"Good. Caley come wid ya!" Caley hugged Azura and grinned. "I like you.   
You not be bad."  
"Where are yer parents?" Azura inquired.  
Immediately the little squirrel burst into tears. "Badbeasts come! Wats   
an' weasleys fight momma an' papa. Dey go sleepy, but don't wake uppa, so   
I left dem in twee and run away."  
"Oh. I see matey. Well, then let's go!" The ferret grinned.  
"Yay!" Caley exclaimed and rode on Azura's shoulders as the pair walked   
through the forest. The odd little pair strode through the greenery of northen   
Mossflower. 


	2. Hares and Squirrels

Azura awoke with a horrid headache late in the afternoon. She could hear   
the sound of rushing water beneath her head. Suddenly, she jerked into her   
senses and looked around her. She saw little Caley lying on the grass at   
the base of the tree, sleeping, and underneath her a waterfall. Azura almost   
yelled out loud. There was a vertical drop of that seemed to go on forever   
beneath her, where foaming white water cascaded down violently. Her footpaws   
had been lashed to the branch above her, and a large squirrel eyed them   
dangerously in the safety of the large boughs higher up the tree.  
"SQUIRREL SNATCHER!" The squirrel, who was dressed in dark green pants   
which were sliced at the knee and a brown cloak, bellowed at her.  
"I did not snatch 'im! 'e was alone in the forest, and he wanted to come   
along! I'm a goodbeast, y'know." Azura told the squirrel.  
He eyed her suspiciously. "If you are goodbeast, I will let you down,   
but if you are trying to decieve me, you shall die."  
Just then, Caley woke up. "Let 'zura down! She be good!"  
The big squirrel believed Caley, and let the ferret down from the branch.   
"My apologies. My name is Barkfir, and I'm the cheiftain of the squirrel   
tribe around here. What is your name?"  
"Azura Wildfyre. Pleased to meet yer." Azura grinned.  
"I know your father well. He started the Vermin Rebellion. Come, join   
us at the feast." Barkfir set off through the trees, with Azura and Caley   
trying to keep up. Soon, they were at a little clearing, where there were   
many small treehouses made from wood sitting on the massive branches of   
a large oak tree in the middle of the clearing. A big table was securely   
fastened on the biggest bough of the tree (which was at least ten beasts   
wide and thirty long), and the branch was carved into seats.  
"That is our feasting table. Come, let us go up. Just step on yonder   
platform an' haul away on the rope." Barkfir took Azura by the paw and lead   
her to a platform. She stepped onto it and began pulling on the rope next   
to her. Soon, she was moving up the tree towards the big branch as Barkfir   
and Caley leaped nimbly up the giant oak.  
The ferret took her seat next to Barkfir, Caley on her lap. There were   
honey and oat scones, salad, blackberry pie, candied and crystallized fruit   
and nuts, rosehips and apples dripping in thick syrup and, as the centerpiece,   
a bowl piled high with fresh cherries. Azura ate her fill, her favourite   
being the rosehips and syrup. A couple of hares were also at the table.   
  
"Squirrelhares. Nice they're a nice lot." remarked Barkfir. "Just about   
at home up 'ere an' on th' ground. We raised 'em ourselves. That 'un over   
there is Briskpaw," he indicated with a cherry stem at a hare wearing a   
vest and loose pants, "An' the other 'un is Fleetspaw. They're twins y'see.   
We found 'em orphaned on one of our expeditions. Parents were nearby, slain,   
and vermin were littered all about. Bet those hares put up quite a fight."  
Azura nodded, knowing that hares are brave creatures. She approached   
the two. Briskpaw, the female grinned. "Hullo, ole ferrety-type! Come to   
nick our dinner, eh?"  
"Rather not, Brisky. I think she's come for some of the bally courage,   
wot!"  
The ferret laughed and replied in her best harespeech. "Bah, bally   
cads! I'm quite a goodbeast, y'know."  
"Our humble apologies, marm." Fleetspaw said.  
"Just a bit of jokin' y'see." added Briskpaw.  
"Now, young hares, up to your treehouse. Leave the ferret alone."   
A squirrelwife shooed the squirrel hares up into a treehouse.  
"G'bye, ferrety-type!"  
"See ye on the morrow!"  
Barkfir smiled as he hopped next to Azura. "I'll be showin' ye to   
your house, now. We always keep an empty 'un for a visitor."  
Azura's treehouse overlooked Mossflower. The view was beautiful.   
Trees stretched out in all directions, a light brown path snaked its way   
here and there. Somewhere in the distance was a thin strip of blue, the   
ocean. Before the ferret fell asleep, Barkfir came up with a beaker of hot   
soup. She drank it all in two gulps, thanked Barkfir for his hospitality   
and dropped onto the bed. She fell asleep next to Caley in a snap. 


	3. Omens and Otters

A battlefield. Blood, everywhere, nothing but blood. Mists of red drifted.   
Bodies littered the ground. The clang of metal against metal. The sounds   
of war. The screams of those who were dying. Sweat dripping. Pain...the   
pain!  
~~~  
"ARRRGH!" Azura sat up straight in the bed. She looked around her   
wildly, sweat running down her face.  
Barkfir burst into the room. "What? I heard you yellin'!" The squirrel   
looked at the ferret. She was shaking violently, clutching her side. Her   
eyes were wide open in terror. Caley was crying.  
"The pain...the pain!" Azura moaned. "Where am I?"  
"Don't worry, Azura, it's safe." Barkfir spoke in soothing tones.   
"You're in the treehouse. You had a nightmare."  
"But the pain...it seemed so real." She still held onto her side.  
"It was an omen. A dream fortelling the future." A ragged old badger   
covered in long flowing robes limped into the room. "An omen seems so real   
you feel it."  
Azura shakily got to her feet. She almost collapsed, and grabbed   
onto Barkfir for balance. "An omen?" She asked.  
"Yes, an omen. Do not forget it, Azura, daughter of Firebrand and   
Jadewind." The old one drifted back out the door and vanished.  
"Azura, what's wrong? You were talking to thin air." Barkfir was   
thoroughly confused.  
"A badger told me something. I won't forget what he said." The   
ferret had recovered now and opened the door. "I'll just be goin' for a   
short walk, just to work this out."  
~*~*~*~*~  
Far south, another ferret had awoken from the same dream. He rubbed his   
eyes as he sat awake, looking at the badger in front of him.  
"You will reunite with your child, Firebrand. Remember the omen."   
The badger faded into the mist.  
~*~*~*~*~  
Azura came back. She sat down at the great table and dug into her bowl of   
fresh fruit. Fleetspaw and Briskpaw were on either side of her. She murmered   
something to them.  
"I'll be leaving soon. Caley will be stayin' here wid the other squirrels.   
D'ye mind if ye explain this ter Barkfir?"  
"Sure, ole ferrety-type. We will." Briskpaw answered for the two of   
them.  
"By the way, ole chap, we're comin' with ya." Fleetspaw added.  
"I say, capital idea, wot wot!" Azura replied in harespeech. Just at   
that moment, Barkfir walked behind them.  
"Caley will be broken hearted. I'll help him to remember you by givin'   
him a little carvin' of you." He said.  
"Thank ye. Ye two will always be with me, even if you're here." She   
clasped his paw and shook it. "Many thanks, friend. I hope we'll meet again   
someday."  
Caley toddled over. Azura ruffled his headfur and said that she would   
be going away for a while. The little squirrel burst into tears.  
"'Zura not go 'way! She stay here!"  
"Don't worry, little 'un. I'll be back." The ferret stroked his headfur.   
"Take care of the others, ok?"  
The little squirrel was heartbroken, but nodded sullenly. He hugged   
her and ran off into the woodlands, sobbing.  
Azura, Briskpaw and Fleetspaw were given full haversacks and were   
sent off on their journey. The two hares carried a quiver of arrows, a bow,   
a double-pointed javelin and a light longsword each.   
Goodbyes were made   
and hankerchiefs were waved. The three travellers trekked deeper into the   
woodlands, disappearing from the view of the squirrels. The two hares grinned.  
"When's jolly ole lunch, eh wot?"  
Azura rolled her eyes and replied. "We just finished breakfast! Ye   
two are nothin' but stomachs."  
The hares tried to sneak a few scones from the haversacks but Azura   
drew her sword and threatened to chop their paws off. The scones went back   
very quickly.  
Suddenly, there was a rustling nearby. All three creatures drew their   
swords and stood on the alert. Harsh whispering was heard, then a fox and   
two stoats emerged from the bushes.  
"Whatcha got there, gennelbeasts?" He said roughly.  
"None of yer buisness, fox." Azura snapped.  
"Ah, but it is my buisness. We're hungry, y'see. And we kin take those   
packs from yer with a slice or three here an' there."  
Azura drew her sword. The sparkling jade pommel stone shone in the   
sunlight as she swung it over her head and gave a blood-curdling warcry.   
"Wiiiiiillllldddddfffffyyyyyrrrrre!"  
The two hares drew their longswords and, quick as lightning, the points   
of the weapons were against the stoats' throats. Azura, who had the fox   
cowering beneath her blade, ordered the band of robbers to drop their weapons.   
There was a clatter of steel as a sickle, a dagger and a short sword were   
dropped on the forest floor. Azura kicked the weapons into the nearbly river.   
The hares lashed out with their long legs to give each robber two whacks   
on the snout before sending them on their way.  
~*~  
Later, the three travellers sat with their backs against a tree eating a   
scrumptious lunch of bread stuffed with honey and strawberries and some   
cold apple cider. Briskpaw winked at the ferret.  
"I've got a jolly ole idea that I want ta try, wot wot! Be back in   
a tick."  
The hare got up and picked up his javelin and went off into the woodlands.   
He came back with some wild carrots speared on his javelin. Smearing honey   
and shredded crystallised rosehips all over the produce, he roasted the   
stuff over the fire that they had going. After the carrots cooled, they   
became hard sweet snacks for travelling. Azura took a bite out of a carrot.   
The hard honey and rosehip coating was delicious and she licked her lips,   
trying to get every single morsel.  
Once again on the march, the trio took bites out of the sweet carrots   
every so often to keep up their energy. As they climbed over a hill, a vast   
expanse of flatland stretched out in front of them. Fleetspaw looked at   
it.  
"Well, chaps, looks like we have a bally hard trek coming up!"  
"Ho, yes, definitely a hard trek." A voice came from behind them.  
Azura whirled around to come face to face with an a tall sea otter   
who was backed with a crew of threescore river and sea otters. A red rolled-up   
bandana was tied at a jaunty angle around his head and he wore a black eyepatch   
over his left eye. A small brass earring was attatched to one of his ears   
and on his arm was a tattoo of a two-headed lizard spewing fire from its   
mouths. He wore a short-sleeved shirt several sizes too big for him with   
the collar sheared off and some pants that were ripped off at the knees.  
"Well, mateys, ye can 'ave a rest wid us fer a few nights afore   
ye go on the long 'ard hike through the flatlands." The otter held out a   
rough paw, scarred in many places. "Me name's Oceangale. These are my mateys,   
Crosscreek, Fordbattle an' Wavespray." He indicated two river otters and   
a sea otter. "I'll show ye to Holt Waterglide."  
The otters led the trio to the holt. It was a large cave beneath   
a cliff right beside a river. Holt Waterglide was located where the river   
took a sharp bend just before the flatlands. Trees grew on either side of   
the cliff and fish and shrimp swam by gracefully. Oceangale lifted the curtain   
of vines away from the entrance so the ferret and the two hares could enter.  
Holt Waterglide consisted of a group of large caves joined together   
by tunnels, one tunnel leading into the depths of the river. In one cave,   
there were many reed-mats covering the floor and a couple of ovens in one   
corner. There was a circle of stones in the centre, where a pile of wood   
was standing. Some other caves were full of beds made from soft moss and   
grass. A tunnel led up to the clifftop, where crops were tended to.  
Oceangale's wife, Whistlerudd, took a pot of steaming hotroot   
soup off one of the stone ovens. She smiled at the travellers.  
"Welcome, friends. I've cooked up a batch of 'otroot soup just   
fer ye. Sit down on th' mats...I'll serve ye in a second."  
Whistlerudd, more commonly known as Whistle, filled bowls with   
the spicy soup. Fruit salad was piled high upon wooden plates and hot loaves   
of bread were handed around. Beakers of light apple and peach cider were   
passed out.   
Azura dipped the loaf of bread in the soup and tore   
at it hungrily. After that, she gulped down the remaining soup, which set   
her mouth on fire. She quickly washed it down with some cider and fruit   
salad. Meanwhile, the hares were wolfing down anything that came their way.   
Otterkits giggled at the hares and piled more and more food on their plates.   
After dinner, everyone drifted off into the bed-caves. Azura, Briskpaw and   
Fleetspaw were each given a bed and a cup of warm tea before they went to   
sleep. The ferret dozed off gratefully...food made her unusually sleepy. 


	4. Bad News

Sunlight streamed in from a small high window carved into the cave walls.   
Azura sat up, rubbed her eyes and got to her paws. She ambled into the dining   
cave, where everybeast was already up and about. Everybeast except the two   
hares.  
"Good you're here, mate. Do me a favour and wake the two foodbuckets,   
will yer?" Whistle asked Azura.  
"Sure." The ferret squinched both eyes shut and hollered into the next   
room. "WAKE UP DOZYPAWS!"  
No reply.  
"THERE'S FOOD TER BE HAD!"  
The two hares were in the dining cave in a flash. They looked around   
for the vittles. "Where's the grub?" They said in unison.  
Whitsle chuckled, putting down some hot flat oatcakes, apple pies and   
beakers of chilled peach cider. "Why, bless yer heart, mates, 'tis right   
here!"  
Oceangale winked cheerily at Azura. "Food is th' only thing that gets   
'em up nice an' proper."  
Crosscreek, a husky female river otter, gave a barking laugh. "Haharr,   
'tis true! Lookit them go!"  
The two hares were stuffing the oatcakes and slices of pie down their   
mouths at an alarming speed. It looked like they had survived a ten-season   
famine.  
After breakfast, Oceangale brought the three friends with him to another   
cave. There was a big chalk circle in the centre. "Now fer a bit of sport,   
mates. This 'olt is famed fer wrestlin. Wavespray an' Fordbattle, me best   
mateys, are gonna wrestle t'day."  
The burly sea otter and the sinewy river otter stepped into the ring.   
Oceangale let out a harsh bark and the sport began.  
The two circled each other for a while, then Wavespray charged recklessly   
at Fordbattle. Fordbattle sidestepped neatly and locked his muscular arms   
around the sea otter's neck, trapping him in a deathlock. The sea otter   
thwacked his tail at his opponent's footpaws and punched thrice at the river   
otter's belly. The river otter doubled up and let go of Wavespray's neck.  
The crowds of otters surrounding the ring cheered on.  
"Betcha a silver tailring to a copper coin that Ford 'll win!"  
"I'll wager twenty bowls o' hotroot soup to a pawful o' mud that   
Wave 'll win!"  
"C'mon Wave, give 'im th' ole right-left!"  
"Don't let 'im, Fordbattle, use th' tail, mate!"  
Fordbattle emerged victorious as a well-placed headbutt and a hearty   
thwack from the tail brought the sea otter down. Oceangale cheered loudly   
for both his friends.  
"Now ye see why 'is name is Fordbattle." Oceangale told the travellers.   
"'E wos wrestlin' 'is older brothers when he was nought but a season old!"  
Suddenly, a red-tailed hawk swooped in with an ear-splitting screech.   
  
"Kyyyyyyyraaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"  
It perched on Oceangale's shoulder and started chattering to him.   
The otter looked extremely worried as he pulled Azura aside to speak to   
her.  
"It's bad matey." He said in hushed tones. "Flaymfeather here has   
come wid some news fer us and it ain't good. I'll tell th' crew about it   
tomorrow, but I needs ter tell ye. The vermin rebellion that yer father's   
leadin' is the only thing that's keepin' 'ordes o' corsairs and the likes   
o' them away from this place."  
"You and yer hawk know me dad?" Azura interrupted the otter.  
"Know 'im? 'E wos passin' by 'ere when we ran slap-bang inter each   
other. We became instant mateys. Wos all yer family good vermin?"  
"I dunno. Dad an' mum was called to war when I was only a few seasons   
old. I don't even know wot he looks like."  
"'E turned many a vermin good. 'Twas a good season fer woodlanders.   
As fer yer mum, goodness knows where she's got to. She an' yer pa were separated   
in battle.  
"As fer th' news, Firebrand, for that's yer ole pa's name, an' 'is   
little force is disintegratin'. We needs reinforcements. The otter crew   
will be ready, an' I ask ye to lead us, Azura Wildfyre, daughter of Firebrand."   
Oceangale asked the ferret.  
The ferret's amber eyes were like flames in a snowstorm. "Yes.   
I'll lead th' army. We'll gather more beasts too. Together, we'll defeat   
the foe."  
Oceangale thanked her. He called a council of war that very night.   
Oceangale, Crosscreek, Fordbattle and Wavespray, each commanding threescore   
otters, were seated in the dining hall with Azura. Oceangale gave his speech.  
"At dawn, we leave on our boats to gather an army. We're battling   
somebeast ye all know, somebeast who just happens to be a sworn enemy of   
mine. Gatten the Bloodthirsty."  
Angry shouts followed.  
"This fox destroyed three o' our good ships! This same fox an'   
his scurvy hordes slew many o' our friends, children and comrades. Together,   
we will fight him and end his reign of terror forever!"  
Otters roared out their approval.  
"Git some sleep, crew! We go at dawn!" 


End file.
